In recent months, and particularly during the past few weeks, Livingston has seen several vigils and protests that can very broadly be described as pro-Israel (asking for the safe return of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7,2023, praying for the Israeli Defense Forces, etc.) and pro-Palestine (calling for a cease fire, praying for thousands of victims in Gaza that have been caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Hamas war, etc.).In covering these events, the Tribune has received some criticism from multiple perspectives of this complex situation. We have been accused of being sympathetic to one side of this issue, and then the other. Readers have said we have covered things both too much and too little. Any story we report, photos we share, or events we publicize is met with some level of controversy.As a result, we wanted to clarify what we at the West Essex Tribune seek to accomplish. Quite simply, we are here to report the news of Livingston. If there are vigils, protests, demonstrations, or marches in town, we cover them. Our goal is to make sure that by the time people put down a given issue of the paper, they have a full understanding of the week that was. That means that our staff reports on all we are aware of in each edition. Typically, this involves reporting on municipal meetings, school matters, house fires, and car burglaries, while also finding time to celebrate weddings, graduations, anniversaries, and 100th birthdays.Yet, we must stress that coverage of any particular events are not endorsements of them. Just because the paper reports on something does not mean the Tribune is offering its seal of approval. That is not how newspapers operate. We strive to report the news of the town to its residents - that is all. We do our best to cover everything, and to do so with an unbiased approach; we are not perfect in this respect, but we aim to be. If we have an opinion to share, as opposed to hard news, you will find it right here, where you are reading right now on page A-4, and nowhere else in the paper.In this edition of the Tribune, you will find coverage of two events that occurred within hours of one another at Town Hall. Again, one of these can broadly be described as pro-Israel, the other pro-Palestine. We have included a photo from ...
